


Outsider

by Liz Kenobi (Amidala_Thrace)



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-31
Updated: 2010-07-31
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:17:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amidala_Thrace/pseuds/Liz%20Kenobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Padmé was always an outsider, even from the very beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outsider

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a birthday gift for my friend Michele (emavalexis on LJ) and also applied to the fanfic100 prompt #001 Beginnings. This fic came out of a discussion I had with a friend about how we really don't know a whole lot about Padmé's background or her early life, other than a few meager details about her early forays into politics, and how frustrating that is. I took that concept a bit further and wrote a little speculative piece about how Padmé might have gotten along with her peers as a child.

Padmé was always on the outside.

On her first day of primary school, she went up to another child and asked the little girl what book she planned to read during naptime. This was a tradition at Padmé's house - if she didn't feel tired when naptime rolled around, she was allowed to rest quietly in her bed with a book of her choosing. But she didn't understand that not all children were used to this tradition, and felt hurt and confused when her classmate gave her a strange look and walked away.

She didn't understand when the teacher told her that naptime was for sleeping, and took away the book Padmé had been planning to read. When Padmé tried to tiptoe towards the teacher's desk to get it back, she was told that she had been naughty, and should go sit in the corner for ten minutes to think about what she had done.

But what _had_ she done? Padmé wasn't sure! She had tried to continue reading, and reading (her parents said) was an activity never to be discouraged. But the teacher appeared to disagree, and Padmé couldn't find the right words to explain her point of view. The other children, wary of a rule-breaker, stayed away.

She was no less of an outsider as she grew. She couldn't understand why her classmates seemed to care so much about having fun, and about who might ask whom to picnic with them in the field. Why was _any_ of that important? Wasn't it better to focus on issues such as the plight of impoverished planets, and the people who had less food? She tried to tell them that, but inevitably they replied, "You're _boring_, Padmé. We get enough of public service at school. Why should we think about it in our own time, too?"

So Padmé kept to herself, and eventually she stopped engaging the others in conversation. Eventually, she stopped trying to make friends. Her parents noticed, and worried for her. But there was nothing they could do. Padmé had already decided that she had so little in common with people her age, and therefore it was pointless to speak to them about her interests.

She didn't go to the end-of-year picnic to celebrate graduating from primary school. Instead, she stayed at home and worked on her application to the Apprentice Legislators. While other girls her age were bringing boys home and getting lectured by their parents as a result, Padmé shut herself in her room to plan the Refugee Relief Committee's next meeting. And as those same girls attended balls to meet their future marriage partners, Padmé met with her advisers to discuss her campaign platform for election as Princess of Theed.

Eventually, the majority graduated school. Eventually, they fulfilled their public service duties. And to a woman, they began searching out ways in which they could earn credits, applying for jobs, getting beat out by other women, cursing their lack of experience.

Padmé was not among them. She was in Theed, celebrating her recent election as Queen of Naboo.


End file.
